The Moffat County High School boys varsity basketball team had the team’s best offensive production of the season Wednesday at Grand Junction High School, but couldn’t stop the Tigers’ outside shooting in a 59-50 loss. MCHS senior Colby Haddan, pictured above, led the Bulldogs with 11 points.

MCHS boys fall, 59-50, in Grand Junction

Results ...

Box score from the MCHS boys varsity basketball team’s game Wednesday at Grand Junction High School:

(Team — 1st — 2nd — 3rd — 4th — final)

• Moffat County — 7 — 15 — 17 — 11 — 50

• Grand Junction — 12 — 9 — 23 — 15 — 59

MCHS leading scorers:

(Name — points)

• Colby Haddan — 11

• Joe Camilletti — 10

• Taft Cleverly — 8

• Andy Browning — 7

The Moffat County High School boys varsity basketball team played one of its best offensive games of the season Wednesday at Grand Junction High School.

But despite the Bulldogs’ offensive output, head coach Eric Hamilton said his team couldn’t keep up with Grand Junction’s perimeter shooting.

The Tigers hit six 3-pointers in the second half en route to a 59-50 win over MCHS.

“I thought, overall, our stats were the best they have been all year,” Hamilton said. “We had more rebounds and had fewer turnovers, but Grand Junction shot lights out in the second half and it didn’t matter if we were playing zone or man defense.

“It is hard to defend so many guys who can hit the outside shot.”

The Bulldogs (2-8 overall, 0-1 Western Slope League) led 22-21 at halftime, but Hamilton said his team sent Grand Junction to the charity stripe too many times in the second half.

The Tigers shot 23 free throws compared to the Bulldogs’ five in the second half.

“We shot good in the third quarter, scoring 17 points, but they just outscored us with 23,” Hamilton said. “They worked the ball with dribble penetration and we need to be able to play tough defense without fouling.”

Hamilton said the Bulldogs need to create their own trips to the line by working the ball inside.

In the first half, Hamilton said his team played all-around good basketball.

“In the second quarter, we rebounded really well and worked the ball around and Andy (Browning) and Jacob (Scroggs) did a good job in the post,” he said. “It was a solid half for us and we had very few turnovers.”

Hamilton said the team is still trying to find the right mix of talents on the floor, but things are coming around offensively.

“We run a lot of guys into the game to find what works and we have guys coming off the bench doing good things and that is making our older players play more solid,” he said. “We saw a lot of improvement from (Tuesday’s) Aspen game and when we work as a team, we do good things.”

Camilletti and junior Tyler Hildebrandt, Hamilton said, both contributed off the bench Wednesday.

“Joe came in and provided a big offensive spark with 10 points,” he said. “Tyler never quits and worked hard on both sides of the court. Both of them consistently work hard and produce for the team.”